“Mmmm,” the voice murmured softly. The body adjusted closer and an arm slid over her waist.
“Hey,” Trisha protested and shoved at his chest. “Roll to the other side of the bed. I don’t mind sharing but I’m not a body pillow you can curl around.”
He didn’t put space between them. “I’m trying to get some sleep, sweet thing. You’re making it impossible to do with you pushing on me.”
Trisha gasped and tried to sit up, her hand fumbling for the lamp on the nightstand. The arm moved from around her waist and she twisted away. Her fingers brushed the base of the lamp and almost knocked it over in her haste. She blindly reached for the switch and pressed. Light blinded her for a few seconds.
She turned and gaped at a bare-chested Slade. Tan, muscular skin was revealed to his waist where the sheet pooled and covered the rest of him. She wasn’t sure if he wore pants and didn’t want to know. The fact that he was in her bed shocked her.
“What are you doing?” She couldn’t believe he was sprawled on her bed. “How did you get in here?”
“I strolled inside the front door I helped fix after you fell asleep.” Slade rested on his side. He propped his head on the palm of his bent arm and smiled at her. “Turn off the light. It’s the middle of the night and I want to hold you.”
Trisha gawked at him. “You leave me high and dry and now you want to hold me? You dare climb into bed with me? Are you for real?”
“Yes.”
“Have you lost your mind? I haven’t. Get out!”
“Come here, sweet thing.”
Trisha tried to scramble out of bed but Slade gently grabbed her, hauling her flat onto her back on the mattress. He pinned her under his big, warm body, careful not to hurt her when he did it. Two things became instantly clear to Trisha. One, Slade was totally nude. And two, he was aroused since she could feel the thick, hot erection bump against her inner thigh. They were skin to skin where her nightshirt had ridden up. She sucked in a breath, beyond stunned that he’d dare pull that kind of stunt.
“I missed you.” His beautiful gaze studied hers and his voice came out gruff.
I want to hate him for sounding sexy and looking so attractive. Remember—he abandoned me. That wasn’t hot or sexy. It was mean and cold. “You knew where to find me.” Trisha flattened her hands on his chest, pushed with all her might, but he didn’t budge as she glared at him. Her teeth clenched. “I’ll yell for help if you don’t get off me.”
“I hope you have a really loud voice because I sent them away. I wanted us to be alone. This time I didn’t want to have to put my palm over your lips.”
Memory was instant of the last time he’d done that to keep her quiet while he fucked her. Her body instantly responded when her belly quivered and she hated it, wanting to hate him. She glared into his eyes.
“You left me and now you want me back? Is that what you’re saying? For how long this time? Do I wake in the morning and what? Not see you again for weeks? Maybe months? No. Get off me, Slade.”
He shifted his weight to make certain he didn’t crush her stomach and cupped Trisha’s face. “I was scared. You frighten the hell out of me and that’s the truth.”
“Scared?” She took a deep breath, trying to calm, and resisted the urge to smack him. She was tempted. “So you were afraid? Of what? You’re a foot taller than I am and outweigh me by a good hundred pounds or so. What did you have to be afraid of?”
“Being with me puts you in more danger. That was the main reason I stayed away from you. You nearly died in the woods, could have died when the SUV crashed, and I didn’t want to be the cause of more assholes targeting you.”
She just stared at him, trying to take in his words. It didn’t matter though because he’d hurt her. She wasn’t about to allow him to do it again.
“It was more than that though. I’ve had a lot of time to think. I never dared to allow myself to get attached to anything or anyone. I saw too many die and too much pain. I never owned anything, could never count on anyone being there in the next moment, or even the next day. They used it against me if those assholes who kept me prisoner realized I cared about another person at the testing facility. Hell, they used it against all of us to try to control us. I know you can’t really understand what a lifetime of that does to a person but I can tell you that it messed me up bad. I’m screwed up. I was afraid of what I wanted from you and that you might not return those strong emotions. I wanted to give you time but I’m the one who needed it. I thought if I walked away that I would stop thinking about you and that you would be safer without me. I said you’d be better off if I wasn’t a part of your life. That’s not what happened.”
His honesty surprised her and some of her anger seeped away. She didn’t know how to respond but her heart melted a little at the sincere look he gave her, the obvious pain sounding in his voice, and she had to concede he’d had a really screwed-up past. He admitted that readily, acknowledged he had flaws, and it softened her resolve to remain angry.
“You promised you’d come to me but you didn’t. You hurt me, Slade. You wouldn’t even talk to me. How do you expect me to stop being angry and hurt?”
“I planned to come to you straight after I returned to Homeland but I had to go to a meeting first. Justice demanded it. I heard them saying how and why you’d been targeted by humans. I started to think about how I’d feel if you were killed because we were together. I freaked out, Doc.”
“Stop calling me that. My name is Trisha. Use it.”
His fingers brushed her cheek. “And I told you that I’ll only call you Trisha when I’m inside you.” His face lowered. “And I want inside you in the worst way. I want to taste you and feel you. There’s so much we’ve never had the opportunity to do. I want you to moan my name and I want hear you scream in pleasure. I need to show you how much you mean to me and how much I’ve missed you. Please let me.”
“Please, Slade.” She locked her gaze with his. “Don’t do this to me. You hurt me when you promised you’d come back for me but you didn’t. I had to kill two men and I had faith that you’d come help me but you didn’t. Two other men had to save me yet I still had hope that you’d show up. I needed you. I was worried sick until they told me you’d been found alive. I waited for you to come to me when they said you had arrived back at Homeland but you blew me off.”
“I did come back to you when you fired at those assholes. I heard the shots but I realized Flame and Smiley reached you before I could. I wanted to save you but you didn’t need me.” He paused. “I also didn’t wish you to see me the way I was at the time. I’d killed a lot of men. I was afraid you’d see the blood, that it would make you rethink being with someone capable of that much violence, and that you wouldn’t believe that I’d never lay a finger on you to cause you pain. I’m not fully human and…” He paused, a pained expression lining his handsome face. “It was for the best if you didn’t see me that way. Just trust me on that. I want to be a male you’ll want, not one you’ll fear.”
Her resolve softened even more. He’s insecure about what he is and how I see him. He’s not such a hard-ass after all. She took a deep breath. “Slade, I know what you are. I know you’re not fully human but I accepted that. I was torn up inside over killing those men. I just wanted and needed you after I killed those men. You just walked away from me as though I meant nothing. I don’t know how you could do that if you care about me.”
“You were safe. That’s what mattered most to me. I was sure I’d scare you in the condition I was in at the time and I decided to go back into the woods instead to find the rest of those assholes and make sure they were no longer a threat to you. I believed it was the right choice at the time. I made a mistake.”
“You gave me your word and you lied to me.”
“I’m so sorry. It seemed like the right decision at the time. I was also too out of control to hide my possessiveness of you. Anyone there would have known we’d bonded.”
“So you didn’t wan
t anyone to know about what happened between us?” Anger and pain shot through her. “Well, guess what? Now some people know. I bet that just really humiliates you. I know, it’s not PC for New Species to sleep with a human, is it?”
“What is PC?”
“Politically correct. Some of you guys have sworn to never touch humans. It’s— Oh hell, get off me. I also hate to break this to you but your guys took one whiff of me and knew I’d had sex. At first they thought I’d been raped. I wouldn’t tell them a thing except I hadn’t been. I left your name out of it even after I got pregnant but Justice remembered how I smelled that night I was brought back to Homeland. At first he thought the father was Brass but when I told him I’d never touched him sexually, Justice knew it was you. You were the only strong scent left on me.”
“Don’t speak words that I did not say or even think. I’m not ashamed of you, Doc. I don’t care about what is PC. I was trying to protect your human nature. I know human women are very private about their sex lives and being with me put you in greater danger. Ellie and Fury are proof of that. I was also trying to protect you from what Ellie and Fury went through when they got together. Everyone bugged them about their sex life and hell, every time Fury touched her it seemed as though someone accused him of hurting her. That’s why I didn’t want those men to guess what had happened between us and I wasn’t sure if any humans were involved with the rescue who would witness us together.”
“I trusted you once and now I know I can’t. I―”
Slade’s mouth came down on hers and his lips brushed hers. He spoke against her lips. “I’m bad with words, sweet thing, but trust this.” Then he forced her mouth open under his.
Trisha tried not to feel but it was Slade kissing her. She wanted and loved him despite the pain he’d caused her. She’d always known her attraction to him wouldn’t be easy, him being New Species, her not being. They were worlds apart but when he touched her all those differences seemed to melt away until it was just the two of them. Her hands splayed on his chest, enjoying the warm feel of his skin as she started to kiss him back. Her mouth parted wider, admitting his hungry eagerness to bend her to his seduction. A moan escaped from the back of her throat.
Slade’s hands caressed her and his body turned, shifting hers with his, until they faced each other on their sides. His mouth never left hers, his tongue coaxing her passion higher. His hands gripped her nightshirt at the waist and material tore. He freed her breasts to cup them with his palms. Strong fingers kneaded her softer flesh.
Trisha broke away from the kiss, breathing hard. “Slade?”
“Don’t tell me to stop. Please? I need you. You have no idea how much I want you, Trisha. I have hurt from how much I’ve missed you. I’m dying for you.”
His head lowered, his tongue rasped over her breast, and all thought left her when his mouth closed over her nipple. He sucked in hard tugs that made her stomach clench, her desire burn brighter, and he nipped her lightly with his teeth. Trisha’s entire body jerked from the sharp pinch of pleasure that jolted straight to her brain as a result. She moaned louder, running her hands along his chest to his shoulders, and dug her fingernails into his skin where they curved. Her mind warned to push him away but instead she pulled him closer.
Slade tore his mouth away from her breast. Trisha protested with a whimper. She ached from wanting him and her eyes opened to discover Slade watching her face closely. The passion in his heated gaze turned her on more. He appeared a little wild, ruggedly handsome, and the fangs peeking out between his parted lips did wonderful things to her.
“You’re so beautiful.” He rose to his knees on the bed, releasing her, but reached for her again quickly as if he couldn’t stand not touching her. “I don’t want to hurt our baby.” He smiled. “I’m happy about us creating one, by the way.”
Trisha allowed him to pull her up to her knees. Slade easily turned her body in his strong arms just by lifting her until she faced away from him and her back pressed against his chest. He rid her of the destroyed nightshirt, just throwing it aside. His hands skimmed down over her breasts, before his mouth nibbled at her neck. His lips, tongue and teeth teased and taunted the sensitive skin.
Trisha moaned when his teeth bit down. He wasn’t breaking the skin or hurting her but the pinch of his bite felt incredibility erotic. His tongue stroked the skin trapped between his teeth before he moved to other spots on her neck, lightly teasing her with soft nips. His hands slid lower to pause at the curve of her hips.
There was a tug of the material against her skin when his thumbs hooked into the sides of her panties. Slade ripped them from her body easily and tossed them away from the bed. His hands traveled lower and around the inside of her thighs until he gently gripped them.
“Open more for me, sweet thing. I want to touch your pussy. I can smell how hot you are and I want to feel. The memory has tormented me and kept me up every night I haven’t been with you.” He growled the words.
She moved her knees farther apart. She sucked in air and held her breath when Slade’s hands slowly slid up her inner thighs, wanting him to get to the good part right away. She’d wanted him far too long for him to drag it out. She wanted him to touch her, needed it, ached for him to make love to her. She began to breathe heavily and wondered if she’d die if he didn’t touch her soon. His fingers found her vaginal lips. They were slick with desire and he parted them with two fingers, rubbed her slit, and homed in on her swollen clit.
Trisha moaned loudly and pressed her head back against his shoulder. “Yes.”
“Yes,” he growled from behind her, giving assurances that he didn’t plan to stop. “I’m never letting you go again, Trisha. Never. You’re mine.”
His fingers parted enough to capture the sensitive nub between them, rubbing and tugging softly. Trisha moaned louder, ground her ass back against his thighs, and could feel his heavy, hard cock pressed against her lower back. Her nipples tightened until they ached.
“Please? I need you,” she whispered. “Do that but I want you inside me too.”
“You’ve got it,” he growled, his voice deep and animalistic.
The need that was clear in his voice just made her want him more. This was the Slade who turned her on, the man she wanted and had missed. He backed up a little, put his knees together between her spread thighs, and growled at her again.
“I’m going to fuck you, Trisha. I don’t want to hurt you though. I’m going to sit and I want you to ride me so you’re in control of how deep you take me.”
Slade slowly lowered to sit back on his heels and pulled her slowly down until she straddled him, facing away. One of his arms guided her hips while his other hand continued to stroke her clit until he grabbed the shaft of his cock instead.
Trisha looked down, the sight of him fisting the base of his thick erection made her wetter and more needy to have him buried inside her pussy. She gripped the top of his thigh to help keep her balance, tilted her hips, and eased down as he guided the crown of his cock right against her entrance. Trisha came down over his lap and Slade slowly entered her.
She cried out over how good it felt when he breached her pussy, the snug fit of their bodies as she lowered more, and the slight burn of being stretched open by something so rigid. Trisha turned her face against his neck and her back pressed tightly against his chest. She moaned, feeling his thick, hard cock sliding deeper inside her wet, welcoming pussy as her body fully settled down onto his lap until her ass rested over his thighs. She shivered.
“Slade!”
“Easy, honey. Real slow, even if it kills me.” He had released his shaft to allow her to sit fully on him and that hand eased over her thigh, returning to play with her clit. She whimpered, hurting to come.
“So warm, so tight,” he growled. “So mine.” His lips brushed her shoulder as he growled again against her skin. His fingers continued to tease her clit while he slowly started to rock his hips upward.
“Slade,” she moaned.
/> “I’m here, Trisha,” He rasped. His free hand ran up her stomach and cupped her breast to caress her sensitive nipple. “Fast or slow? Tell me what you want.”
“Faster,” she moaned.
Slade thrust up into Trisha with more force, strummed his fingers against the bundle of nerves between her thighs faster to keep pace with his thrusting hips. Trisha moaned louder. The sensation of him inside her while he rubbed her clit became amazingly intense. She gripped his thighs for something to cling to as he drove in and out of her faster and deeper.
Trisha nearly screamed when the climax struck, her vaginal muscles clenched tightly around the hard thickness of his cock. Waves of pleasure slammed her as he began to swell inside her. He slowed his thrusts to deep, violent jerks, and his entire body tensed. The hand released her breast, his arm hooked around her waist to lock her against his lap, and his body jerked violently under hers as he came.
“Trisha,” he snarled.
They stilled and that’s when Trisha noticed the heated feel of his semen as it spread inside her while he continued to come, filling her with his warm release. It seemed to go on for a good minute while they clung to each other. Her body quivered as Slade’s hands shifted on her body, both of them tightening around her waist, anchoring her on his lap more firmly. He brushed a kiss on the top of her shoulder. They were both panting.
“I missed you,” he breathed against her skin. “I won’t ever leave you again. Ever, Trisha. I’d rather die than be away from you. I swear to protect you with my life and I won’t mess up again. I learned how much you mean to me.”
She released his outer thighs to grip his arms at her waist. Part of her was afraid to believe him but she really wanted to. She loved him. Sometimes you have to take a chance. You’ll never know if you refuse to at least give him one more shot. She bit her lip before blowing out a deep breath.
“This is the last chance I’m giving you. I mean it. I won’t give you another chance if you ever hurt me again. You pull another disappearing act and that’s it. I’ll be stick-a-fork-in-me done.”